Organized under a



F. W. SMITH.

I INTERNAL COMBUSTION MULTIMOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1919- I 61,423,365. Patented July 18, 1922.

3 SHEEIS-SHEET l- WITNESS:

INVENTOR. E71 722 7L m 2 TORNEY.

F. W. SMITH.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION MULTIMOTOR.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 2,1919- Patented July 18,1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- s Q WITNES: b4,

A RNEY.

F. W. SMITH.

, INTERNAL COMBUSTION M-ULTIMOTOR.

J APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1919. 1 ,365. Patented July 18, 1922.

a SHEE1S-SHEET 3,

AT RNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. SMITH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO UNIT MOTOR COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI ORGANIZED UNDER A DECLARATION OF TRUST.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MULTIMOTOR.

Application filed July 2,

To all whom it may (201106 m.

Be it known that I, FRANK V. SMITH, :1 citizen of the United bit-ates, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and a State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Ii'nprovenients in InternabCon1- b ustion Multiinotors, of which the following is it specification.

This invention relates to internal coinbustion motors and has for its object to pro duce en eflicient and economical n1ulti-1notor of small size and compact and light construction suitable for the heavy and strenuous duty required by aeronautical service d adaptable for marine and automobile services and in power plants of all kinds.

A further objei'zt is to produce a inulti-inotor composed. of interchnngcnble. units in any desired number and orinngeinent. Another object is to produce e multi-niotor having it inoui'itii'ig adjustable rotntnbiy around the crnnl: shaft to permit the motor to be fitted to the job as distinguished t'roin the conventional motors to which the job must be adapted. Another object is to produce :1 multi-inotor having jointless ni; case unit to give maximum security inst leslcige of pressure and oil, end "the!" ooject is to produce crnnl': case ilinder bodies in :1 sins resting i insure again Or compresconserve lubricating st esc r the use 2 U is sion and o1].

A.v still "further object is to produce it inulus the job makes such assemblage desir or nece f.

ll ith these and ther objects in view as hereinafter appear, the invention consists certain novel and useful features con- Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented J l '1 S 1922 1919. Serial No. 308,163.

struction and combinations of parts as herenmt'ter described and claimed; andin order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which l igure l, is a view of a two cylinder n1otor en'ibodying the invention, one of the motors being shown in elevation and the other in centrel vertical section.

Figure 2., is n section on the line Ill-ll of Figure 1.

igure 3, is :1 central vertical section token on the line TIT-11]: of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view showing three units,

i gin-e 6, is o perspective 'view of one of the bushings oi" the crank case.

Figure a perspective View on a reduccd scale of it crank unit and a wrench for use in delincl'iing the crank shaft lnei'nhers from the crank.

Referring to the drawings in detail and to a single unit of the motor, as the units are ol identical construction, the crank case has n nerrow central portion 1, for the occommodation oi the crank oil? the motor shalt, prorid d et diametrically opposite points with elongated. vertical openings 2, either of which openingsis adapted to be closed by u removable plate 3, which at its inner side conforms to the curvature and con; ules an unbroken portion of the. wall portion 11 in the preferred construction, as shown, the portion 1 is provided with eljned out-.verdly projecting concentric neck portions or hinges and. 5 spncec sport to form circular pockets 6 for holding lubricating oil, and braced by radial partitions 7.

The upper halves of the inner ends of :tlnngesii are formed with U-shnped recesses 8, to QGlFfllt of the insert-ion of the rink from the top of the cylinder as hereinafter Q leined, and fitted in said flanges are bronze bushings 9, having lower seIni-cylindriol enlargements 10 fitting recesses 8.,

to receive the hubs of the crank. The outer or cylindrical portions of said bushings contain hard-metal bearing sleeves 11 for quick replacement when necessary, at small cost. The outer end of the inner necks or flanges 4: are provided with outwardly projecting bolting flanges 12 for the connection of units and for other purposes hereinafter explained, and with internal grooves 13 wherein are fitted felt rings 14 for a purpose which hereinafter appears.

The crank is made in a single piece and comprises two arms 15 connected by the crank pin 16, preferably tubular, and said arms are tapered at their outer sides and ends at 17 to provide for clearance in the rotation of the crank within the narrow central portion 1. The crank arms" are provided with outwardly projecting hub portions 18 fitting in and bearlng ajournaled relation to the enlarged portions of the bronze bearing rings 9, and said hub portions are keyed at 19 onto tubular shaft members 20 extending through the hardened sleeves 11, and provided outward thereof with circular heads or flanges 21 formed with channels 22 in their inner faces, to permit of the use of bronze bushings and sleeves 11 of the greatest possible length The peripheral surfaces of heads 21. are contacted .by the felt rings 14 for the conservation of oil and exclusion ofdust.

Each shaft member head 21 is provided with a circular series of equi-spaced sockets 23, and-pressed within the sockets of one of said heads are tubular coupling pins 24, each pin being internally threaded for the reception of a screw, not shown, whereby they may be individually removed from position without injury to their external surfaces. By turning such ascrew in one of said pins it eventually engages the bottom of the socket within which such pin fits, and then acts to push or pull the pin out of the socket. If the motor consists of two units,

the other shaft head will likewise be pro vlded with a set of pins 24-, one end of each engaging a similar socket in the juxtaposed shaft head. of the adjacent unit, it being understood in this connection, that a set of pins engagingtwo of such heads will preferably be pressed tightly into one as above explained, but will have only a close sliding lit with the 0ther, .so that the units'may be readily fitted together or separated. The said pins areintendedmerely as couplings to trai'i mit power from one crank to another crank or to a fly wheel or some other object to be rotated. To secure two units together, the flanges 12 of the abutting crank cases, are secured together by a circular series of bolts 25 in the juxtaposed bolt flanges: 12, To center abutting crank cases and insure alinement of their bearings, centering rings 25, are fitted in the circular spaces between.

the shaft member heads and the flanges 12,

registration of all of the bolting flange holes.

A motor comprising two or more units, will be provided preferably at one end, with a gear wheel 26 and witha fly wheel 27, the gear wheel being perforated to accommodate the coupling; pins 24.

The fly wheel is preferably of sheet metal, and provided with an internal circumferential channel 28 to be weighted bya filling 29'of lead or the like, and said wheel is provided with an inner side 30 to [it against the gear wheel, said side being perforated to accommodate the projecting coupling pins, in order that any object to be driven, within or beyond said fly wheel, may be engaged with said pins, which obviously may be of any suitable length. If the fly-wheel is to be arranged between two units of the motor, pins 24 of sufficient length to extend completely through the fly-wheel and into the sockets of such units at opposite sides of the fly-wheel, will be employed. As such arrangement will be obvious by reference to Figure 1, and involves no difference of construction other than the change in length of the pins 2-4, it is not thought necessary to illustrate it. To secure the gear wheel and the fly wheel rigidly in place, any approved method may be employed, but n'eferably, a headed bolt Ell. is fitted through them and screwed into the juxtaposed shaft member. This closes the latter against loss of com nession, and a. plug is employed to close the other shaft member against es: cape therethrough of compression within the crank case. The plug can be removed by a screw driver after bolt 31, been re moved. The latter has a special function in the dismantling of the crank hereinafter explained. r a

At each end of the motor an annular motor-mounting angle ring 33 is secured upon the respective flange 152 of the crank case by means of the set of bolts of. such flange, and spotnvelded or otherwise rigidly secured to each of said rings is a foot 34 adapted to be fastened by bolts or the like, td a cross'piece, not shown, for securement to any suitable support for the motor. By this arrangement it will be apparent that by rotatable adjustment of said angle rings on the ends of the motor, the latter can be secured for operation at any desired angle, that is to say, be set with the cylinders hereinafter referred to, horizontal, vertical or at different positions intermediate of the positions mentioned, the changes of adjustment being on n loss of any of it with the exhaust gas.

limited only by the number of perforations provided in said rings for engagement with the said bolts 25, as will be readily understood. The angle rings at one end of the motor also constitutes a housing for the gear 26.

Bolted or otherwise fastened to the peripheral portion of one or the gear-housing angle rings 33, is a housing 35 for a gear wheel 36 meshing with gear wheel 26, wheel 36 being mounted on a suitably-journaled shaft 37 equipped with a small gear 38 meshing with another small gear 39 secured on a second shaft 40, said gears 38 and 89 constituting a pump for circulating water for cooling purposes. The shattBT is adapted for operat ing other accessories of the engine, such for example, as ignition mechanism, not shown. The small gears are enclosed in a figure-8 housing 41, the body of which is cast on the cover side of housing 35, and it is closed at one'side by a removableplate or cover side {42, these cover sides giving access to the gears above-mentioned.

The cylinder 48 is preferably cast integral with the crank case, and for compactness and lightness of construction the latter is recessed to conform to and form the lower part of the chamber of the cylinder, the crank case being formed at opposite sides with a pair of by-pass ports 44 communicating at their lower ends with the crank case adjacent the center thereof and at their upper end with the chamberot the cylinder at the lower extremity of the piston 45 when the same is in its most advanced posit-ion, and in order that the flow otgas from the crank case upwardly through ports 14 shall not be choked by the piston when at the rearmost or inner end oil its stroke, the piston is provided with a pair of ports 46 to register with the points of communication between the crank case chamher and the inner ends of the ports rt-fl. The head oi he piston is arched as at t? and provided with a cross port 48 to register with. and receive gas from the outer ends of ports 44 when the piston is at the rear or inner enclof its stroke, and the said arched portion is provided with a central diametiric slot 49 for discharging the gas from the cross port into the cylinder preliminary to the com- 'pression of such charge.

By supplying explosive mixture to the compression chamber through the cross port 48 and the slot the cooling eii'ect of each charge is brought to bear on the head of the cylinder centrally of the front end thereof,

tins method of supplying the gasconserving the supply by preventing iimizing the It also effects a better scavenging of dead gases from thecylinder than where introduced at one side of the latter, as customary in two cycle engines.

It will also be noted that by forming channels 50 at opposite sides of the neck forming the slot 49, the cool. gas within the crank case and piston comes into contact with the full area of the latter and hence assists in preventing the overheating of the same and the cylinder. The discharge slot 49 is of approximately hali the capacity of the port 48 in order that the former shall constitute in etl'ect a nozzle for increasing the velocity of the gas and discharging it as a blast against the spark plug 51 and the dome-shaped end or head of the cylinder, this blast tending to keep the spark plug clean and therefore in the best possible working condition. In the preferred construction the piston and the head of the cylinder are made of aluminum alloy and the former and the interior of the latter are polished and bufl'ed to minimize adhesion of carbon thereto by reducing skin friction and hence facilitating the scaveng ing operation. The piston is operatively connected by the link 52 to the cross pin l6 of the crank and the side edges of the arms of the latter are beveled as at 53 (see Fig ure l), for engagement by a wrench hereinafter more particularly referred to, to be utilized in dismounting the shaft members 20 from the hubs of the crank, as it is absolutely essential that said parts shall be separable in an engine in which the crank case is cast in one piece as herein shown.

The cylinder and the head are respec tively provided with ribs 55 and 54- t'or air cooling and sti'lfening purposes. The rib of the cylinder is preferably of spiral form to accommodate the winding around the cylinder of gasoline and water tubes 56 and 57 respectively, the circulation of water through the latter being solely for the purpose of aiding in keeping the cylinder cool, and the circulation of the former assisting in accomplishing this result. The gasoline as it becomes heated by conduction from the cylinder is made more susceptible to quick and periect vaporization, the discharge end oi said gasoline tube being connected in any approved manner to a carbureter (not shown),-:tor connection to the intake manifold 58. The latter is connected to caps 59 secured. over one of the openings 2 or each crank case (see Figure n) and fitted in each of such openings is a plate 60 provided with a pair of openings 61 having spiders 6?, for slidingly supporting the stems 63 of a pair of poppet valves 64 seated to control openings 61. The plate is provioed-with a post- 65 having a recess 66 for coil spring; 6'? so that the same may TOC-K or rotate slightly,

' forthe exhaust of dead gases than ports of the same width with straight front and rear margins, the curving of said margins also serving to maintain external. pressure on the piston rings during part of the time saidv rings are passing such ports. This minimizes chance of the rings bulging slightly as they pasn said. ports and thus lengthens their period of service.

In the preferred construction as already described,the cylimler cast with the crank case and the crank is adapted to be disposed in place by slipping it through the cylinder. "lhe head'of the cylinder is secured in place by a series of tie bolts 73 extending down through the head and the spiral rib and through an external flange 74 on the cylinder, nuts 7:) engaging the ends of the bolts.

The piston and other parts of the motor are'adaptcd to be lubricated in a well-known manner, that is by introduction of a small quantity of lubricant with the gasoline, but to insure proper lubrication for the journals of the crank shaft .members, perforated tubes 76 extend vertically through the necks 4 and 5 of the crank case and the bushings 9, and comnnmicate with the pockets 6 thereof. Fitting in said tubes arewicks 7'7, and engaging the wicks are'springpressed pins 78, which. tend continuo'liisly to crowd the wicks upward through the tubes, and bushslot or nozzle 4:9 with the cleaning effect hereinbefore explained. During this action the evacuation of the dead gases occurs through the ports 72, which at such time are uncovered by the piston. the ports-i6 in the pistongiving the fresh free passage from the crank case chamber to the ports 4:4 and thence to the cross port 48, above explained. As the crank pin passes center, the piston starts on its forward stroke so as to cut off communication between. ports 44; and. port a8 and between the piston chamber and the discharge ports 7 2, the upward movement of the piston continuing until the stroke is completed, when ignition takes place and the piston is driven back until it again uncovers ports 72 and renews comn'iunication with ports as, these operations being repetitions of operations already described, the intake valve of course opening under the suction produced by each outward movement of the piston to replenish the charge of gas in the crank case. 7

In ligure 7 is illustrated a wrenclrW, to be dovetailed on an arm 15 of a crank unit to close the opening of the hub of said arm, the crank being adjusted cross Wise of the crank case so that the wrench can he slipped into the latter through one of the openings 2 after the covering plate thereof is ren'ioved. Proper turning of the bolt 31 which is thus bottomed. on the wrench, will force outward the surrounding crank shaft member 20 until the same is disengaged from the key 19 and withdrawn from position. This operation, of course, is performed after the units are separated, and after the fly wheel and gear wheelhave been removed if in the way of the particular shaft member to be withdrawn. Substantially the same method is employed to remore the other shaft member. After the shaft i'ueinbers are removed and the heads of the cylinders have also been removed, the

. pistons and cranks are free to be withdrawn an engine designed for high speed operation.

Either of the openings 2 may serve for i the intake valv'ein fact they may be used simultaneously, especially if a light fuel is desired for starting and a heavy fuel, such as kerosene, for the regular operation of the motorgThe openings 2 are elongated not only to give large intake-valve capacity, but also to give access to the interior of the crai'ik case for connecting and alsofor disconnecting, if desired, the piston rod and crank. A motor of this type can be equipped with a fly wheel at each end, if desired. without interfering with power transmitting mechanism, and it is obvious that power connections can be made at both i ends if desired; It will also be obvious that the units of the motor may be in any desired number and in the same or different radial .positions to accommodate particular surmon shaft, such as the propeller shaft of an aeroplane. The combined powerof all of such motors maybe used to drive the propeller as the aeroplane leaves the ground or to give maximum speed, and one or more can be out out of service for conservation of fuel or to be utilized if one or more'of the active motors fails to function properly. By this arrangement the side torque encountered in driving one of a pair of propellers located out of the longitudinal center of the aeroplane is avoided, and the machine is relieved of twisting stresses incidental to the use of one of a pair of such propellers.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a multi-motor having advantageous features which in many respects are suitable for four-cycle as well. as two-cycle purposes, but which, as a combined air, water and fuel cooled twocycle motor is peculiarly desirable for aviation and other purposes where high speed is necessary.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the prin ,ple of construction involved or the spirit'and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having a central chamber for the crank and two side chambers flanking the central chamber, for holding lubricant, the inner walls of the side chambers having hollow cylindrical portions axially of said central chamber, the inner ends of said cylindrical portions being enlarged and communicating with said central chamber.v bushings fitting in and conforming to said cylindrical portions, and. wicks within said side chambers and extending up through the said cylindrical portions and said bushings to conduct lubricant to the interior of the latter.

2. In an internal combustion engine. a crank case having a central chamber for the crank and two side chambers flanking said central chamber, the inner walls of said side chambers having hollow cylindrical. portions axially of the central chamber. said walls being formed with U-shaped recesses constituting enlargements open at the top, for said cylindrical portions and communicating with said central chamber. bushings in said cylindrical portions, provided with U- shaped enlargements occupying said U- shaped recesses, a crank in the central chamber having hubs fitting in said enlargements of said bushings, and shaft extensions secured in said hubs and journaled in the portions of the bushings fitting in said cylindrical portions of said inner wall.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having a central chamber for the crank and two side chambers flanking said central chamber, the inner walls of said side chambers having hollow cylindrical portions axially of the central chamber, said walls being formed with U-shaped recesses constituting enlargements open at thetop, for said cylindrical portions and communieating with said central chamber, bushings in cylindrical portions, provided with U- shaped enlargements occupying said U- shaped recesses, a crank in the central chamber having hubs fitting in said enlargements of said bushings, shaft extensions secured in said hubs and. journaled in the portions of the bushings fitting in said cylindrical portions of said inner wall, wicks in said side chambers and extending up through said inner walls and the bushings for conducting lubricant to the bushings, and yielding means pressing the wicks into the bushings.

4. In an internal combustion engine, abutting crank-cases secured together and provided with alined bearings, shaft members journaled in said bearings, cranks secured on the shaft members within the crank-cases, and coupling pins extending parallel with and connecting the shaft members of abutting crank cases.

5. In an internal combustion engine, abutting crank-cases secured together and provided with alined bearings, shaft members journaled in said bearings and provided with end sockets, cranks secured on the shaft members within the crank-cases, and tubular, internally-threaded coupling pins extending parallel with and fitting at their opposite ends in alined sockets of adjacent shaft members.

6. In an internal combustion engine, abutting crank cases secured together and provided with alined bearings, shaft members journaled in said bearings and provided at their outer ends with heads, cranks secured on the inner ends of the crank shaft mem bers of each crank case, and coupling pins engaging adjacent crank shaft heads of abutting crank cases.

7 In an internal combustion engine, abutting crank cases secured together and provided with alined bearings, shaft members journaled in said bearings and provided at their outer ends with heads, cranks secured on the inner ends of the crank shaft members of each crank case, and tubular internally threaded coupling pins socketed at their opposite ends in the adjacent crank shaft heads of abutting crank cases.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having .alined bearings, and an opening at right angles to said bearings, a removable plate covering said opening, internally threaded tubular shaft members journaled in said bearings, a crank keyed on the inner ends of said shaft members, and screws fitting in said shaft members and plugging the same.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having oppositely alined bearings and an' opening at right angles to said bearings, a removable plate closing said o ijcning, internally threaded tubular shaft members journaled in said bearings, a crank keyed upon the inner ends of said shaft. members; the arms of the crank having beveled edges, and screws engaging the tl'ireads of said shaft members.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case having alined bearings, crank shaft members ournaled in said bearings,':-r

crank secured on the inner ends of said crank shaft members, coupling pins projecting outward frem the outer end of said crank shaft members, a gearwheel abutting said crank shaft members and perforated to accommodate said pins, a fly Wheel abutting said gear Wheel and perforated to accommo date said pins, and means for clamping the fly Wheel, gear Wheel and said crank shaft members rigidly together.

11. In an internal combustion cngine, a crank case having alined bearings, tubular internally threaded crank shaft members journaled in said bearings, a series oli' con pling pins projecting outward from and par; alleling one of said crank shaftmembers, a crank keyed upon the inner ends of said crank shaft members, a gear Wheel having perforations accommodating said pins and fitting against the crank shaft member of the latter, a fly Wheel having perforations accommodating said pins, and a headed screw extending through the fly Wheel and the ear Wheel and engaging the internal threads of the abutting crank shaft member to clamp said Wheels firmly to the latter.

12.1n an internal combustion engine, abutting crank cases secured together and provided With alined bearings, shaft members journaled in said bearings and provided at their outer ends with heads, cranks secured on the inner ends of the crank shaft members of each crankcase, coupling pins engaging adjacent crank shaft heads of abutting crank cases, and a centering ring fitted in abutting crank cases to center the shaft members thereof. p In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. FRANK W. SMITH; 

